Shoe machine and method of making shoes



March 26, 1929. a. E. WARREN SHOE MACHINE AND METHOD OF MAKING SHOES 2 Sheebs-Shet Original Filed May 1923' March 26, 1929. E WA R SHOE MACHINE AND METHOD OF MAKING SHOES 2 Sheets-Sheet Original Filed May 1923 Patented Mar. 26, 1929.

UlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE E. WARREN, OF SWAMPSCOIT, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 UNITED SHOE MACHINERY CORPORATION, OF IPATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

SHOE MACHINE AND METHOD OF MAKING SHOES.

Application filed May 7, 1923, Serial No. 637,039. Renewed December 14, 1928.

The present invention relates to machines and methods utilized in the manufacture of shoes and particularly to those utilized in performing an operation progressively along thebottom margin of a shoe, such, for instance, as the operation of lasting, inseam sewing, inseam trimming, outsole stitching, edge trimming, ec ge setting, stitch separating, etc. The invention is particularly adapted for usein automatic machines in which the shoe is supported upon a acl: and in which the relative movements of the jack and operating devices are produced automatically. In its broader aspects, however, the invention is not limited to shoe machines which are wholly automatic in character, but may be utilized in machines in which some at least'of the re quired relative movements of the operating devices and the shoe are produced or controlled by the operator or in machines in which the shoe is held in the hands of the operator. The invention is particularly useful when embodied in machines adapted for the production of the standardized shoe disclosed in applicants prior application Ser. No. 476,659.

In performing an operation progressively along the bottom margin of a shoe it is im portant that the operation be started at a predetermined definite point on the shoe and this is especially true when the operation is performed by a machine in which the shoe is supported upon a jack and the relative movements of the shoe and operating devices are produced automatically. The present invention provides a simple and C'fllCiGhlJ means for securing this result with accuracy and without any special attention or skill on the part of the operator. The invention involves the use, in a machine for performing an operation progressively along the bottom margin of a shoe, of gaging means for positioning the shoe as it is presented to the operating devices by the operator to start the opera'ion at a predetermined point on the shoe, this gaging means consisting of a gage arranged to contact with a surface fixed with relation to the shoe and formed on the shoe or on a part movable therewith in predetermined relation to the point on the shoe at which the operation is to be started. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention hereinafter specifically described the gaging means is applied to an automatic machine in which the movement of the jack to starting position adjusts the machine-for operation on the particular size of shoe which has been placed on the ack. In this machine, therefore, the gaging means not only positions the shoe to start the operation but insures an accurate adjustment of the actuating mechanism for the performance, and also for the termination of the operation.

In addition to the features of the invention'above referred to the present invention also consists in certain constructions, arrangements and combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed,.' the advan tages of which will be obvious to those skilled in the art from the following description.

A machine embodying the present invenand, exceptfor the, gaging devices for positioning the shoe to start the operation at a predetermined point on the shoe, is the same in construction and mode of operation as the machine disclosed in the patent of Laurence E. Topham and Alfred R. dorrill No. 1,616,714,- dated February 8, 1927. p

This machine comprises sewing mechanism mounted in a frame 4 supported upon the base 6 of the machine, a shoe supporting jack comprising a toe supporting arm 8 rigid with a hollow spindle 10'and a heel supporting arm 12 pivoted at its lower end upon the upper end of the spindle 10, a jack supporting structure comprising an arm 14 in the forward end of which the lower end of the jack spindle 10 is rota-tably mounted by means of a gimbal joint,

a support 16 upon which the arm 14 is mounted to swing vertically, a frame is pivotally mounted at its lower end in the machine base so as to be capable of swingring about a horizontal axis and upon which the support 16 is mounted so as to swing about a substantially vertical axis, a vertical cam shalt 20 mounted in the machine base carrying a series of cams 22, and a driving and stopping mechanism supported in a frame 24 mounted on the machine base at one side of the frame 4 of the sewing mechanism. During; the operation of the machine on a shoe the lower end of the jack spindle is moved forwardly and rearwardly oi the machine and laterally, and the jack spindle is rotated, so as to maintain the shoe at all times in the proper relation to the sewing instrumentalities. These movements are imparted through suitable connections actuated from the cams 22 on the pattern cam shaft 20. The shoe is fed by the feeding devices ol the sewing mechanism and also by a feed lever w iich is actuated from the cam on the pattern cam shaft 20 and which controls the longitudinal position of the shoe in the machine. The feed lever 26 is pivotally mounted at its rear end in the top plate of the machine base so as to swing in a horizontal plane and is connected at its forward end by means of a bar 28 to the toe supporting arm 8 of the jack. The feed lever 26 is connected by means of links 30 and 32 to an arm 34 pivotally mounted on the base of the machine frame and the arm 84 actuated from a cam on the pattern cam shaft 20 through a cam lever 36 and aconnecting link 38. The links 30 and 32 are pivotally connected together and to the free end of a swinging guiding link 40. The swinging guiding link 40 is fulcrumed upon a lever 42 which is held locked in position during the operation on a shoe. To adapt the machine for operation on shoes of different sizes the connections between the arm 34 and the feed lever 26 are adjustable, and to this end the lever 42 is pivotally mounted upon the machine base so that it can be adjusted to change the position of the fulcrum otthe swinging guiding link 40 and thereby vary the pat-h of the pivotal connection between the links 30 and 32 and thus adjust the movement of the feed lever to correspond to the size of shoe to be operated upon. The fulcrum carrying lever 42 is held locked in adjusted position during the operation on a shoe by mechanism comprising a rod 44- pivotally connected to the rear end of the fulcrum carrying lever 42 and arranged to slide through a block 46 pivotally mounted on the machine base. The rod 44 is engaged by the inner cam shaped ends of short levers 48 mounted in the block 46 and the outer ends of these levers are connected by feed lever 26 can be made.

a pin and slot construction with a cross bar 50. This cross bar is pivotally mounted on the rear end of a rod 52, the torwardcnd of which pivotally connected to a bar 54. The bar 54 at one end is connected to an arm 56 and near its other end is connected by a link 58 to one arm of a lever 60, the hub of which is arranged to be engaged by a latch 62. During the operation on a shoe the lever 60 is held 1 y the latch 62 and the fulcrum carrying lever 42 is locked in position. When the operation on a shoe is completed the jack is moved forwardly out- .Of the machine and is rotated reversely to its original position. The shoe which has been operated upon. is removed from the jack and another shoe is placed thereon. The placing oi. the new shoe on the jack depresses the jack somewhat and this acts to release the lever 60, is fully explained in the parent of Topham and Merrill hereinbe'tore referred to, so that the fulcrum carrying lever 42 is unlocked and adjustment ol" the mechanism i'i'or actuating the This adjust ment is accomplished automatically by the movement of the jacked shoe to starting position in the machine. As will be obvious from inspection of Fig. 2 and as fully explained in the Topham and Merrill patent, the movement of the jack to bring the shoe to starting position while the fulcrum carrying lever 42 is unlocked and while the arm 34 is stationary will swing the fulcrum carrying lever about its pivot and thus adjust the fulcrum of tie swinging guiding link 40. The fulcrum carrying lever is locked in position on starting the machine by means of a pin 64 on a horizontally arranged bar (36, which pin as the (36 is. moved to the right, as viewed in Figs. 1 and 2, engages an arm of the lever 60 and savings the lever it is engaged and locked by the latch The bar 66 is con nected by means of a hell crank 68 and connecting rod 70 to the starting treadle 72 ot the machine.

* locking; lever 0i" 1 bar of e Tophanji and ls'l orrill p t' t hereiube'fore referred to and is also uta cod, fully described in said patent, to adji the speed of the pattern cam shaft in acco. lance with the size of the shoe to he operated on. The arm 56,"to which one endot the bar 54 is connected, when moved in either direction actsthrough suitable connections to adjust the speed the pattern cam shat The arm is movea into the proper position by a longitudinal movement of the bar 54-, imparted thereto by the engagement of a pin 74 on a forward extension of the lever 42 with one oftwo inclined surfaces 76 formed on the end of and unloc ing the it the teed l chanism L3 the machine disclosi-id in t the c v ing an operation progressively from a point the bar 54- remote from the arm 56, this engagement taking place during the forward movement of the bar 54 as the machine is started into operation by the depression of the starting treadle.

The gaging means with which the machine has been provided to enable the shoe to be positioned without any particular care or skill on the part of the operator so as to start the operation with accuracy at a predetermined point on the shoe consists of a gage arm 78, the inner end of which is pivotally supported upon one of the side walls of the overhanging frame of the sewing mechanism and the outer end of which is arranged to extend into close proximity to the sole of a shoe when presented by the operator in posit-ionto be operated upon by the sewing mechanism and contact with a positioning surface fixed with relation to the shoe and locateo in predetermined relation to the point on the shoe at which the inseam is to be started. In the construction illustrated this positioning surface is formed by a pin projecting from the last through,

a hole in the insole, said pin being a'jig pin utilized in locating the outsole in proper position on the shoe, as fully explained in applicants prior application Ser. No. 476,659. This jig pin has a predetermined definite position on the shoe and thus when the pin is brought into contact with the gage arm 78 the shoe is exactly positioned to be gin the sewing operation at the required point on the shoe. Preferably thegage arm is so arranged that the correct position for the shoe is determined by bringing the forward surface of the pin, that is the surface of the pin facing toward the toe,.in contact with the gage arm. eration on the shoe to be started immediate- 1y without removing the gage arm from its operative position. held frictionally in. operative position by means of a spring 82 (see Fig. 2) interposed between the inner end ofthe arm and the head of the bolt upon which it is pivotally mounted. With this construction the gage arm can be thrown out of operative position by the operator at any time that may be necessary or desirable. g

The nature and object of the invention having been indicated and the preferred form of the invention having been specifically described, what is claimed is 1. A machine for operating on shoes having, in combination, devices for performat the side of a shoe along the bottom margin of the shoe toward the toe, a shoe supporting jack, and gaging means for positioning the jack as the shoe is presented to the operating devices by the operator to start the operation at a predetermined point on the shoe.

This permits the op-' The arm is preferably I 2. A machine for operating on shoes having, in combination, devices for performing an operation progressively along thebottom margin of a shoe mounted on a last, and a gage arranged as the shoe is presented to the operating devices by the operator to contactwith a pin projecting from the last through a hole in the sole.

3. A machine for operating on shoes having, in combination, devices for performing an operation progresslvely along the bot tom margin of a shoe mounted on a last, a

shoe supporting jack movable to transfer the point of operation along the shoe and movable by the operator to bring the shoeto starting position, and gaging means for positioning the shoe to start the operation thereon at a predetermined point on the side of the shoe.

4. A machine for operating on shoes having,- in combination, devices for performing an operation progressively along the bottom margin of a shoe'mounted on a last, a shoe supporting jack, mechanism for changing the relative positions of the jack and operating devices to maintain the proper relation of the shoe to the operating devices as the point of operation is transferred along the shoe, and gaging means for positioning the shoe as it is presented to the operating devices by the operator to start the operation at a predetermined point determining said position.

6. A machine for operating on shoes having, in combination, devices for performing an operation progressively along the bottom margin of a shoe mounted on a last, a shoe supporting jack, mechanism connected-With the jack for controlling the longitudinal position of the shoe with relation to the operating devices, said mechanism being adjustable for operation on shoes of differout sizes by a movement of the ack to bring the shoe to starting position, and gaging said gage being movable into inoperative position after said mechanism has assumed such control.

8. A machine for operating on shoes having, in combination, devices for performing an operation progressively along the bottom margin of a shoe, a shoe supporting jack movable by the operator to bring the shoe to starting position, mechanism connected with the jack for controlling the longitudinal position of the shoe with relation to the operating devices but disconnected from the jack during its movement to starting position, and gaging means for determining such position.

9. A machine for operating on shoes having, in eon'ibination, devices for pertorming an operation progressively along the bottom margin of a unit torn'ied by mounting an insole and an upper on a last, and gaging .means for positioning said unit as it is presented by the operator to the operating devices to start the operation at a predetermined. point on the shoe.

10. A. machine for operating on shoes having, in combination, devices for attaching progressively the upper to the insole of a shoe, and agage arranged as the shoe is presented to the attaching devices by the operator to contact with a positioning surt'ace fixed with relation to the shoe and located in predetermined relation to the point on the shoe at which the attaching operation is to be started.

11. That improvement in methods of making shoes Which consists in mounting an upper and an insole on a last, providing a positioning surface fixed With relation to the unit formed by these parts and located in predetermined relation to a point on said unit at which an operation is to be started and bringing said surface into engagement With a gage to position said unit in predetermined relation to an instrumentality tor operating progressively along the bottom margin of said unit to determine the starting point for such operation.

12. That improvement in methods of making shoes Which consists in providing an insole With a positioning surface, mounting said insole With an upper on a last, locating the unit formed by these parts relatively to an instrumentality for operating on the shoe by bringii'ig said surface into predetermined relation to a gage on said instrumentality and then progressively operating upon said unit beginning while the unit is thus located at the point thus determined.

13. That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists in mounting an upper and an insole on a last and providing an abutment on the unit formed by these parts, locating the unit relatively to anjnst-rumentality for operating on the shoe by bringing said abutment into engagement with a gage upon said instrun'ientality and then While thus relatively located relatively moving said unit and instrumentality to operate along the shoe.

let. That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists in providing a part of a shoe with a jig hole, inserting a pin in said hole, locating the shoe relatively to an instrumentality for operating thereon by engaging sai d pin With a gage on said in strumentality.

15. That improvement in methods of making shoes which comprises providing an insole with a hole, mounting said insole with an upper on a last, inserting a pin in said hole, locating the shoe relatively to an instrumentality for operating thereon by bringing said pin into engagement With a gage on said instrumentality and then relatively moving said shoe and; said instrumentaiity While progressively securing the insole and upper together.

GEORGE E. WARREN. 

